Video: Inside ATFP Gala 2013

Photo Gallery: ATFP Gala 2013

In Media

President Obama visits Israel and the West Bank capital of Ramallah this week in a Middle East that has changed so dramatically that the two-state solution he has championed seems more than ever a mirage.

President Obama plans to visit the Church of the Nativity, but not the Western Wall, when he travels to Israel next week. He will speak at Jerusalem’s convention center, but not before the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.

As President Obama prepares to visit Israel and Palestine later this month, he's facing a set of political and diplomatic impasses that seem virtually insurmountable. Israel and the Palestinians have never been further apart on final-status issues since formal negotiations began more than 20 years ago.

Feb. 15, Washington DC -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) today celebrates the end of its 10th year of operations and the beginning of its second decade. Since its founding in 2003, ATFP has built on a clear mission: to advocate that a negotiated end-of-conflict solution that allows for two states, Israel and Palestine, to live side-by-side in peace, security and dignity is in the American national interest.

The American Task Force on Palestine today warmly welcomed reports that following a year of holds and delays, Congress appears to be preparing to release all outstanding US aid, totaling more than $500 million, to the Palestinian Authority. This aid is essential for the PA budget, to meet the payroll for public employees, fund crucial institution-building programs and finance the PA security services. ATFP thanks the Obama administration and leaders in Congress for taking the initiative to release this vital assistance to the Palestinian people.